Belgian pundit suggests Wout Van Aert is struggling with his own popularity: "He is approached as a demigod in Belgium"
Cycling
All the riders participating in the races during the Opening Weekend were warmly welcomed by the crowds in Ghent. But no applause could compare to when Wout Van Aert took to the stage. It just goes on to show much the fans love their home hero.
And that is precisely where the problem lies for the leader of Visma | Lease a Bike, thinks Michel Wuyts.
"He is too popular," says the former Sporza commentator in the HLN podcast Wuyts & Vlaeminck.
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Wuyts recalls last year's E3 Saxo Classic where he was on the podium during the team presentation: "Van der Poel received a deafening applause, but Van Aert received a fivefold applause. I am also convinced that he will receive a bigger applause than Evenepoel. He is by far the most popular."
"Van Aert is a star, but also an underdog. He is two in one, and he has to deal with that. I asked him on stage: 'Does that stimulate you to give even more of yourself or is it the other way around?' He said that I should not ask him that question at that moment. He is struggling with that, you know. He is approached as a demigod. Whether he wins or loses, he will always be on the first cycling page."
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Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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